Let’s remember what our business really is

Homily for July 31, 2016 (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time)
Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23; Psalm 90; Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11; Luke 12:13-21

It may seem a little odd to speak about Charles Dickens’ classic tale A Christmas Carol at the end of July, but a scene from the story came to mind as I reflected on the scripture readings that the Church has given us to reflect upon today, particularly our gospel passage from Luke 12.

On Christmas Eve, the miserly and miserable Ebenezer Scrooge is eating alone in his cold and dark apartment when he is confronted by the ghost of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley.  Scrooge is frightened by what he first wants to dismiss as an undigested bit of beef, but he also wants to know the reason for his late friend’s visit.  Marley tells him:

“It is required of every man,” the Ghost returned, “that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellowmen, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world — oh, woe is me! — and witness what it cannot share, but might have shared on earth, and turned to happiness!” . . .

“You are fettered,” said Scrooge, trembling. “Tell me why?”

“I wear the chain I forged in life,” replied the Ghost. “I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it. Is its pattern strange to you?”….

“But you were always a good man of business, Jacob,” faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself.

“Business!” cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”

Like Marley’s ghost, the word of God comes to us with some sobering and perhaps disturbing news.  The ancient sage Qoheleth admonishes us to consider that “All things are vanity.”  We can work like dogs for what we think will bring happiness, peace of mind and security to us and our families and yet be burdened by the chains of “sorrow and grief” and minds that can find no rest, even at night.  Life, Qoheleth reminds us, isn’t always fair.  Hard work doesn’t always reap rewards.

Like the man in the gospel, we can pursue material wealth with such fervor that we forget why we’re here.  Note how self-centered he is:

“This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry.”

Like Jacob Marley did with his friend Scrooge, the Lord turns the tables on the rich man, his egotism and his selfishness:

“You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?”

Jesus warns us:  “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”  In his Letter to the Colossians St. Paul refers to greed—the worship and selfish and needless accumulation of money and material things—as a form of idolatry.  He lists it with other things that he also urges us to avoid:  “immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire…lying.”  Using the image of a baptismal robe, Paul instead urges them:  “Put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator.”

Where are our loyalties?  What are our priorities?  We can pledge ourselves to “Make America Great Again,” and forget that in Christ “there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave [and] free.”  We can say, “I’m with her” and forget that “through him, with him and in him” there is only One who is truly worthy of glory and our trust.  We can shop ‘til we drop and forget that one day we will drop…for good!

Let the chains we forge be those that draw us together and help to lift up others.  Let our spirits go forth in this life to do the will of the God who created us and sustains us.  Let the barns we build be those that increase our stores of faith, hope, love, justice, peace and the food that will provide real and lasting nourishment for our world.

Let’s remember what our business really is.  +